


To Care

by bakodagotmeintowritingatla (FandomsMJ)



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Gen, Hakoda and turtleducklings, Post-Canon, Redeemed Azula, Reference To Past Injury, dadkoda, not canon compliant with the comics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-13
Updated: 2020-09-13
Packaged: 2021-03-07 02:28:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26449297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FandomsMJ/pseuds/bakodagotmeintowritingatla
Summary: "Azula, did you want something?" Hakoda asked.Yes. No. ...She wasn't sure.
Relationships: Azula & Hakoda (Avatar)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 139





	To Care

**Author's Note:**

> This is a scene from a wip that kind of got away from me. Azula just kind of took over, though, I do believe the fact I had recently seen a certain scene in the comics also played a small part in it. 
> 
> Anyway, I found it in my unused scenes folder and thought I'd go ahead and post it since it won't be in the final fic.

It was the three year anniversary of the end of the war, meaning leaders from around the world gathered at the Fire Nation Palace for the annual celebration. It was always interesting watching the various world leaders trying to be civil as they not so subtly hated each other. Well, that was perhaps an unfair description. 

Near as Azula could tell the Earth Queen of Ba Sing Se was genuinely trying to get to know the other leaders - and was far more competent that Kuei had been - while King Bumi of Omashu seemed to just want to cause as much chaos as possible. The Water Tribe Chiefs barely spoke a word to each other as Chief Arnook of the Northern Tribe kept to himself and looked at the others with dislike while Chief Hakoda of the Southern Tribe tried to be friendly with the other leaders - and seemed rather close to the Fire Lord and Avatar. 

Speaking of, Zu-Zu was the same awkward dork he'd always been, which seemed to annoy most of the other leaders. Meanwhile the Avatar was trying to play peacekeeper while also balancing multiple requests from the different leaders. Really, they expected the Avatar to simply be able to wave a hand and fix whatever issue... the idiots. 

Azula was pretty sure she would have set someone's robes on fire by now if it weren't for her bending not coming as easily to her anymore. As part of her... sentence the Avatar had done something to her bending. He hadn't taken it, she could still feel the warmth of her inner flame, but it was not easy to call to her fingertips. 

There was a new trick to it, one she hadn't been taught. It was infuriating, but she knew she would figure it out eventually. After all, her mind was still sharp as ever. Just as sharp as her eyesight, which easily spotted the not quite stealthy enough figure moving towards the gardens. 

She waited for a few minutes, not moving until she was sure it was the perfect opportunity. Really, the guards shouldn't be this easy to ditch. She grinned as she slipped away, knowing it'd be a good few minutes before her absence was noticed and by then the guards wouldn't have a clue where she went. 

The turtleducklings had climbed out of the pond, eagerly climbing over the man lying flat on his back beside the pond. Sokka would never be able to stay that still and quiet, one of the few things he didn't seem to have in common with his father. Another thing the two didn't have in common was the young tactician would never let a turtleduckling mess up his hair. 

_ What was with that turtleduckling and hair anyway?  _

She stopped just behind the hair turtleduckling, looking down at Hakoda. He had his eyes closed and if she didn't know better she'd think he was unaware of her presence. She took a moment to just observe him. The last time she had seen him had been about half a year ago when she and Zuko had visited the South Pole. Ironically the very last time she had seen him he had been flat on his back, eyes shut. 

_ His blue parka stained indigo with blood. The waterbender crying as she pleaded with her father to stay with her. If it had been Ozai lying there would Azula have been so emotional? She doubted it.  _

She shoved the memory away, giving him an unimpressed look, "You look ridiculous." 

Ocean blue eyes opened, looking up at her. "And you look like you've ditched your guards again." There was the faint hint of a scolding tone in his voice. Yet he made absolutely no move to restrain her or drag her back to the guards. Nor did he order her to return to her escort - not that it would have done him any good. 

"Like I need guards," Azula scoffed. "And if I really must be supervised then I believe my brother would trust you with that." She sat at the edge of the pond, golden eyes not leaving him. 

"He might," Hakoda murmured. 

"There is no 'might' about it." Azula diverted her gaze to her nails for a moment, maintaining an air of disinterest. Really, he should know this by now. "He's as attached to you as he is to Uncle, and trusts you just as much." 

That had been one of the most confusing things about the chief when she had first met him. Zu-Zu had seemed... attached to him. Not quite the same way he was attached to Uncle, but still. He looked up to the man, trusted him. Azula had been suspicious at first, thinking the chief had been merely using him, planning to weaken the Fire Nation from the inside. Just like she had done with Ba Sing Se after earning Kuei's trust. 

Days of study had proven otherwise, and she hadn't been able to hide her amusement when she asked Zuko if Uncle was aware he'd been adopted. She'd been expecting her brother to be flustered. Instead, he simply shrugged. He did have a habit of taking the fun out of everything. 

Yet, she still couldn't understand why Hakoda had treated Zuko as one of his own. He did the same with all of his kids' friends  _ ( ~~and her~~ ) _ , but she couldn't figure out why. If it had been for influence reasons he would have already taken advantage of it, yet he hadn't. He'd had more than a few opportunities to shut up Chief Arnook by calling in a favor with the blind earthbender, or the Avatar, or even Zuko, yet he never did. 

She began to figure he was just like Uncle and Mother, naturally warm and caring. Unlike Uncle or Mother though, Hakoda never looked at her like she was a monster. 

"You seem quite certain of that," he noted. 

"Did you see how Zu-Zu reacted when you got stabbed?" She couldn't help how her gaze fell to his side, knowing that underneath the water tribe blue tunic there was a scar from a stab wound. 

_ She could still remember Hakoda's sharp gasp when the knife was dug into his side. Katara's scream had been enraged, Zuko's cry terrified. And Azula had only stood frozen and silent.  _

"I remember him yelling something, but no more than that," Hakoda admitted. 

"Figures. You passed out almost immediately," Azula said. "Everything was so chaotic afterwards we didn't even get to see you after. We just heard of your recovery from your daughter." 

It hadn't been safe to stay. She remembered her mind screaming at her, telling her that she and Zuko needed to leave immediately. Several of the villagers blamed them for the attack that had wounded the chief and she  _ knew _ there would be trouble if they stayed. Zuko hadn't wanted to leave, but she had insisted and the others had agreed it might be for the best. 

Hakoda hummed, and she realized too late what the chief had been doing. He'd been fishing for information, trying to get to the heart of the thoughts she refused to even acknowledge let alone share with others. And yet she already knew she'd given too much away.  _ She was slipping.  _

There was a chorus of offended quacks as he slowly sat up. She watched as he held the turtleducklings that had been on his chest, keeping them from falling. He was so trusting, leaving his back to her. She was tempted to fix his hair - she never could stand seeing hair in disarray, it reminded her too much of a day she'd rather forget - but she made no move to do so. 

Once the turtleducklings were safely set on the ground he turned to her. He had a glint in his eyes, that same glint his son got when he thought he had the upper hand. Anyone else, and the look would have terrified her. Around him? She was only slightly nervous. 

"Azula, did you want something?" he asked. 

**_Yes._ ** _ No. _ ...She wasn't sure. 

His expression shifted, amusement fading to a gentle and patient look. He held an arm out to her and it took her a little longer than it should have to comprehend what he was asking. She hesitated for only a moment before moving closer. His arm wrapped around her, pulling her close to his side. 

It was the first time someone other than Zuko had hugged her since... since that trip to the South Pole. She'd woken from a nightmare and in a dazed fear had run through half the village before quite literally crashing into Hakoda. She'd been expecting to be scolded. Told how she was being childish and needed to get better control of her emotions. The warm hug and gentle words had been shocking... and comforting. Not that she wanted to admit it. 

She was determined to treat him the same as she did the others. Not really caring, just keeping an eye on him for her brother's sake. She had been so determined, and she thought she'd been doing well. Until they left the South Pole after his injury. She had actually been worried about him. 

A worry that hadn't fully disappeared until she finally saw for herself that he was alive and well. And that was when she realized she cared about him. She wanted to be angry with herself. She had been so careful yet it hadn't been enough. 

Instead, as she sat tucked against his side, all she could wonder was if this was what it felt like to actually care about your father, and know you were cared for in return. It was something she'd never had with Ozai, something she never thought she would have. 

Something she was afraid to get used to. 


End file.
